Not long ago, China’s currency, the yuan, wasn’t traded beyond the country’s borders. Yet in the next 10 years, it will become fully internationalized and join the ranks of the world’s main reserve currencies, beside the dollar and the yen.

The global march of the yuan is an extension of China’s success since the launch of its economic reforms 30 years ago. The status of a currency is commensurate with the economic power of a country. The U.S. share of global GDP, for instance, increased from 10% at the turn of the 20th century to 20% after World War I, raising the dollar’s importance; the rise in Japan’s share of global GDP from 7% in 1970 to 16% in 1988 also elevated the yen’s role as a reserve currency.

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[T]he internationalization of the yuan will benefit China in general by increasing the appeal of Chinese assets and pool of investment funds. This is similar to what happens when a company’s stock becomes a blue chip. International demand for yen assets increased significantly in the 1980s, as did global demand for U.S. assets at the turn of the century.

China’s Monetary Policies Look To Favor Yuan, Gold At Dollar’s Expense: What Will This Mean For Art Collectors & Investors In “Portable China”?

Art Collectors and other holders of "Portable China" can benefit from the globalization of the yuan if they're in it for the medium- to long term

Today, Business Intelligencelooks into China’s monetary policies, and how they are increasingly favoring alternate investment vehicles like gold while putting a dent in the US dollar. For investors looking to diversify their holdings into a number of areas to lower risk and exposure to market fluctuations, what will the simultaneous increase in asset diversification, global economic jitters, the ascendance of China and internationalization of its currency have on those who put their money into Chinese assets? The article does a fairly good job of illustrating the long-term effects these market forces will have on these investors as well as China itself:

In a series of recent policy moves and announcements through official channels, or increasingly through indirect ‘economic ambassador’ addressing conferences or talking to western reporters, China’s intentions and ambitions are becoming clearer.

Societe General is looking to grow its private banking services in China

The Wall Street Journal reports today that Societe Generale (China) Ltd., the locally incorporated unit of Societe Generale SA, has received permission from China’s banking regulator to offer yuan-denominated retail services in the country. This could have major implications on foreign investment in China, as it simultaneously boosts the growing global influence of the Chinese yuan:

Societe Generale (China) will begin to offer these services once its branches receive yuan retail licenses from local bank regulators in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, Pierre Bonzom, managing director and head of commercial and personal banking for the French bank’s China unit, said in a statement Tuesday.

Yuan-Backed Sovereign Bonds Seen As Major Step In Building Market For Yuan As A Global Currency

Recent moves show that the internationalization of the yuan is a major priority for the Chinese government

The Shanghai Daily reports today that the Hong Kong SAR government is set to debut a new class of bonds denominated in the Chinese RMB, a move seen as a significant milestone in China’s ambitious plan to make its yuan a more global currency. While articles about the yuan’s potential status as a major currency have multiplied in the last year, particularly following People’s Bank of China director Zhou Xiaochuan’s call earlier this year for the US dollar to be replaced as the world’s de facto reserve currency, less-publicized moves such as China’s currency swap agreements with several countries, and an expansion in the issuance of yuan bonds from commercial banks, have largely flown under the media radar.

With the announcement of these new yuan-denominated bonds, it is clear that China hopes to make Hong Kong even more of an international financial hub. Although the territory has, for decades, been a major financial power in the region, with its more relaxed political and financial system, Hong Kong looks to be one of the most accessible areas for China to experiment with some of its more long-term financial projects. With the strong linkage between Hong Kong and Shanghai — sometimes playfully referred to as “Shangkong” — if this program is successful it may mean more fluid and regular investment in yuan bonds by foreign investors as well as a simultaneous boost to the yuan’s reputation abroad.

Peng Wensheng, head of China research at Barclays Capital, said that while the amount is not large, it is a significant development in the internationalization of the yuan and for the development of the Hong Kong bond market.

“The issue broke new ground in an effort to promote the domestic currency as an international currency,” Peng said yesterday.

China And Hong Kong Get Ready To Begin Bilateral Trade Scheme, Announced Last December. What Will It Mean For Holders Of Portable Chinese Assets Like Art?

The internationalization of the Chinese yuan has hit a major milestone, as China’s Central Bank Governor Zhou Xiaochuan, and Joseph Yam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, today signed a memorandum in Hong Kong to set off bilateral trade that can be settled in Chinese yuan rather than Hong Kong or U.S. dollars. The move, which follows similar “currency swap” agreements signed by China and Argentina, Malaysia, and South Korea in recent months, illustrates the urgency with which China’s Central Bank is looking to globalize China’s currency. While none of this is really “new” to China-watchers, the importance of this story — and the story of China’s rapidly-internationalizing currency — is in what it means for investors who have “bought into” China. While it won’t mean much for holders of Chinese real estate or stocks, the real story here is in portable goods, an area which we have covered in detail several times before. With the globalization of the RMB comes a revaluation of portable goods (which can be carried across borders and converted into alternate currencies).

Today’s Financial Times has a feature on investors who are turning to traditional hedges against stock market turbulence, and the way major diamond producers like DeBeers are ratcheting up their marketing and outreach efforts to get these people’s attention. Although diamonds fell mainly out of favor in recent years in many developed countries due to their sometimes controversial nature, diamond consortia have seen their fortunes turn around rapidly as they increased their foothold in emerging markets like Russia and China.

As the RMB appreciates and becomes more convertible, investing in Chinese assets like art looks like an even better option. Painting: Chinese contemporary artist Qi Zhilong's "A Chinese Girl In Male Military Uniform No. 2" (2006)

In recent months, a number of high-profile Chinese and world economists have increased their calls for the creation of a truly “global currency,” which would diminish the US dollar’s role as the de facto international currency sooner rather than later. Although this concept is still far off, as these economists concede, definitely within the next 10-20 years the dollar’s primacy will be challenged, if not completely nonexistent.

Although this is not some kind of dollar apocalypse, but rather a readjustment of the global economy based more on a realistic global picture. In the post-Cold War, post-BRIC-growth world, we are seeing the world economy pluralize rapidly. So a global currency will require an accurate portrayal of this multipolarity — thus, it is unlikely that the next global currency will be “from” one country. Rather, it is likely to be a multi-currency basket, or “supracurrency” — as the governor of the People’s Bank of China, Zhou Xiaochuan, himself called for in March.